“Despite all our accomplishments, we owe our existence to a six inch layer of topsoil and the fact it rains”

One of the funniest things that happens to me not infrequently enough is someone asking “why should I care about the environment?” and me responding “Well, you live in it!”

In the modern world we often are so disconnected from what’s around us. Driving or taking public transit disconnects us from distance and allows for so much to pass us by. Only the people with extra time on the weekends and that kind of vibe go to farmers’ markets to buy local produce. We as humans in urban areas need to worry about cars killing us more than any risk an animal might pose wandering into a neighbourhood. Why should I care about Earth day?

Yes, we know that our tomatoes and onions are grown in the Earth. Yes, we know that the rain falls down to Earth, and that the air is cleaned by the trees. Yes, we know about the Earth’s tilt and how it makes seasons. Yes, we know about plastics and oil and why they are bad. Why is Earth Day necessary when we learn from a young age about the water cycle, and the circle of life, and the importance of recycling?

For me, Earth Day is a chance to re-remember the deep interconnected nature that is life. I personally will not be embalmed or cremated, because I want my body to return to the soil after I am done with it. It’s also about reckoning with how our lifestyles and even minor decisions affect the closed system that is Planet Earth.

Beyond just turning off the lights for an hour, we can be intentional about our energy use broadly. I can say that I don’t turn the lights on while the sun is up. Earth Day can be the start of repeatedly asking ourselves “Should I take my bike or walk to the corner store instead of driving?” - and given that it’s at the end of April, it’s just about the right time of year, too! Beyond just recycling, Earth Day can be about being intentional with what products we buy to prevent the need for anything to be recycled. It can be about reusing items and making home crafts, which are opportunities for creative thinking and resilience. Beyond buying, asking a neighbour if you could borrow a tool, for example. Earth Day is for us to think about how the decisions and actions that seem automatic to us can be made intentional, and towards living a more sustainable life.

I try to be clear that a sustainable life isn’t a smaller life. Reusing/Upcycling can be a fantastic way to think outside the box, and especially can be fun for children. Sharing with neighbours is not about having less yourself, but having more together. Growing community gardens - using sustainable methods and eating local - isn’t just good for the Earth, but it’s good for us as individuals.

Unfortunately “wildfire season” is becoming a concern for more and more communities across Canada. Droughts and floods in the same year. Warmer weather earlier in the year causes some hibernators to wake before the food has grown. Earth Day in a deeper way is a realization that we’re all in this together. Not just this or that region affected at any particular moment by a climate catastrophe, but also that tiny catastrophes are happening daily. Not just this city or country, or even just humans, but all life. Having lifestyles that are sustainable and robust, supported by community and dedication to intentional living can help us weather the uncertainty that life often throws at us, and of course climate change, which we have thrown at ourselves.

I hold Earth Day in to wonderful, hopeful esteem. We depend on the plant which gives us life, and it gives us so much life. There is so much beauty, and wonder, and diversity across the Earth. We must live in ways that respects the diversity and abundance of life on Earth.

Earth Day can serve not just as a symbolic reminder, but as starting point to living the lives we want and need to live. What if Earth Day was New Years’ Eve, what would your Earth Day resolution be?

If you want to learn more about environmentalism, if you’d like to volunteer, or just have fun, OSEAN will be teaming up with Councilor Riley Brockington to provide activities for both children and adults on April 18th, at McCarthy Park. More details will come in a post soon!

Blog by Tyler Locey

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